A Florida puppy saved from a gator’s jaws by his cigar-chomping owner just got good news
A Florida man’s recent dramatic rescue of a puppy from inside an alligator’s mouth has an even happier ending.
According to a Facebook post from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Gunner the lucky King Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is now a deputy with the department.
During a Tuesday ceremony, the adorable pup is seen getting pinned with a badge as Lee Sheriff Carmine Marceno tells him, “This is a big day. You’re going to be detective now,” as the animal licks the officer’s face.
“You probably remember Gunner, the pup that was almost taken by an alligator in his backyard,” says the FB caption. “His owner quickly came to the rescue and now Gunner is teaching kids all about safety!”
The 5-month-old dog was also given national coverage in People magazine, which the sheriff’s office proudly trumpeted on a Thursday social media post.
The dog’s owner, Florida man Richard Wilbanks, was the real hero in this tale, however.
In video provided to the sheriff’s office during the deputizing ceremony, he told how he and the dog were taking a stroll by his pond at his Estero home in late October when he heard Gunner yelp. Once the pet owner realized what was happening — that Gunner was being attacked by an alligator — Wilbanks jumped in the water and pried open the reptile’s jaws with his bare hands.
“I wasn’t going to let him have my puppy for breakfast,” the 74-year-old said.
Trivia: A cigar remains clenched in Wilbanks’ teeth during the entire rescue.
Video provided to the Miami Herald and circulated widely on social media showed how the Southwest Florida man jumped into action.
The dramatic footage was shot on Wilbanks’ property because the hunter consented to participate in a wildlife conservation program called Sharing the Landscape set up by the Florida Wildlife Federation and fStop Foundation.
“The gentleman you see in the video is one of the homeowners that is participating in this project,” FWF spokeswoman Caitlin Maselli told the Miami Herald at the time. “We are fortunate to have such a strong group of homeowners who are participating and who understand the value of the wildlife that surrounds them.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 12:53 PM with the headline "A Florida puppy saved from a gator’s jaws by his cigar-chomping owner just got good news."
